A day at the pool
by Alex Marr
Summary: The Bat boys together at the pool. Family time really. Brings a smile to ones face. Hot sun, sun burns and body gloves Damian is very much alive in this


It was a bright hot sunny day at the Manor. The high noon sun seemed to set everything in its path, feel like a hot oven. The cicada sang its song, merging in with the birds in a harmonious tune. Perfect weather for anyone to bask in the natural vitamin D. Alas, no one in Wayne Manor was out and about in the still green landscape nor around the underground Olympian sized pool. That however, was about to change.

Alfred proudly marched his way down the hallway, making his way to the Master Bedroom. With an un-characteristic move, he promptly kicked open the door and called out with a booming voice.

"I do say Master Bruce! It is about time all you boys went out and enjoy the sunshine."

Bruce, who nearly fell out of bed in that moment of shock and awe, looked on in disbelief. He hid his eyes when the red dark curtains were pulled to reveal the sunlight. Alfred could have sworn he heard a hiss come from the younger man.

"What is it? Like 8 in the morning?"

"Try noon. I've already dealt with the younger Masters, who too I might add are in agreement that I am a cruel, cruel man."

Bruce scratched his bed head, stretching and yawning the last remaining sleep from his body. With his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, he noticed that it was a lovely day. Alfred laid down a pair of swimming trunks before heading off back to the door.

"Master Bruce, I do intend to see you out and about with the others, or else I will make it a week you will regret."

"Point taken. God forbid I go against the almighty Alfred."

"Don't be smart with me Master Bruce, regardless of who you are... I can still best you."

Bruce was wise not to say anything else beyond that. He knew Alfred, he knew what he could do and have done to prove a point. Alfred left with a smirk before walking back down the hallway. It was going to be a nice relaxing day.

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Tim lay on the lawn chair, he was hiding underneath the giant beach umbrella. A book in one hand and an ice tea in the other. He raised an eye brow, noticing the new comer to Alfred's "Get out of the House" Club. A smirk sneaked up on him as Bruce dragged another lawn chair to be under the protection of the umbrella. Tim lifted his drink to Bruce.

"I'd say good morning, but that was hours ago."

Bruce glanced around the pool, noticing that none of the other boys were around. He sat down on the hot plastic and quickly shot up. The heat was making everything miserable. Bruce hadn't even registered the heat till now. Tim handed Bruce a towel, his eyes falling back down to the book he was reading. Bruce took it with a frustrated sigh.

"You could have warned me you know."

He still felt the hot plastic superficial burns on his back.

"Head's up, it's hot outside."

Bruce took the towel and laid it over the lawn chair, before laying back down on it. The heat, combined with the humid air was making his skin feel sticky.

"Where are the others?"

Tim turned a page, not looking back up.

"Not heading Alfred's warning."

"Hnnn…Foolish boys."

A loud scream escaped from the Manor. Both men turned their heads in that direction.  
Dick's plea for help fell on silent ears as Alfred's wrath fell on his newest victim. Tim turned his attention back to his book, being wise beyond his years.

"You know, Dick should have known better. He has lived with you two the longest."

"Oh look, here comes Jason."

Jason walked out of the back door of the Manor. Well he tried to walk out normally, he just wasn't counting on the hot patio. Bruce nudged Tim, pulling his attention yet again away from his book. Tim cracked a laugh as he watched Jason, whom was barefooted, dance around for a cool spot before he landed in the grass.

"He looks like a chicken with his head cut off."

Bruce glanced over at Tim.

"You know this how exactly?"

Tim closed the book, now being fully aware that he wasn't going to finish his book that day.

"Last summer with the Kent's. Clark thought it would have been a good idea to teach me how to "dispatch" a chicken and how to make it while fresh."

Bruce made a mental check that if he ever sent Damian to the Kent's farm, he would warn them in advance that Damian had now become a vegetarian and dispatching of any animal was forbidden.

Jason joined the two, his hand's resting on his hips. He too, looked disgruntled with the current situation.

"You know Bruce, the only reason why I came back to the Manor was because each room in the house has a swamp cooler. It's way too hot to even be outside."'

"Just amuse Alfred for the time being, otherwise you'll end up like Dick."

Jason glanced back at the Manor. Dick's screams this time got louder, as did the running thumping sound of him trying to escape to the outdoors. Jason laughed, being thankful Alfred let him slide when he slithered out of the icebox of a room he was currently residing in.

"God, I don't even think my safe house in the Atlantic Islands ever got this hot."

Tim's eyes lit up, Bruce watched on in interest. It had come on as a surprise to him, that Jason and Tim had been having a secret "brother-bonding time" behind everyone's back. He had found it rather scary how he hadn't had known about it sooner, considering his profession and all. He wasn't mad, he was extremely happy that the two were getting along and that Tim had convinced Jason to come back to the Manor, even if it was just for the swamp cooler.

"I was wondering about that…Since you have an Island home and all….Can I borrow it from time to time when you're not using it?"

"As long as you stay out of the basement, then it's ok by me. The keys up on the fourth coconut tree. Kori thought it was a good idea to leave it up there."

Bruce decided to interrupt the two.

"Why, what's in the basement?"

Jason rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. The look of irritation quickly vanished and was replaced with sarcasm.

"My Batcave, what do you think?"

"Alright, I get it. Ha ha."

Bruce smiled back up at Jason, who then caught on to something.

"So what's with the umbrella?

Jason, who was used to being in the sun was almost dumbfounded by the two lily white people before him. Then the realization hit him, the Bats don't venture in the daylight. Tim gave him a dead pan look before answering.

"If I venture out too long, I'll end up like a red lobster."

Jason laughed really hard, an old memory flashed in his head. It was when he was still Robin. Bruce and Jason went off to the Florida Keys for a mission and had down time afterwards. Bruce had fall asleep in the hot summer sun and ended up red as a tomato.

"Yeah, that happened to Bruce once and I gave him a Body Glove."

"That was cruel and devious. You were just lucky I was wounded."

Tim smiled, watching as Bruce and Jason talk about old memories with a fondness in their voices. He wasn't going to disrupt the moment the two were sharing. Unfortunately, that moment didn't last long.

"What the hell is a Body Glove?"

Tim narrowed his eyes, now fully away of Damian's presence. Bruce smiled, glad to see the youngest finally out and about. Jason looked down at the five foot nothing.

"Kid, I don't think you ever need to worry about that. With your genetics, I don't think you'll burn as easily as Bruce here."

"I still don't get what a Body Glove is…"

Bruce sat up, making room for Damian to take a seat next to him.

"I had made a mistake at falling asleep in the sun one time and my back and legs were sunburned. Jason here, being ever so streetwise…"

Jason tilted his head in respect. Bruce smiled, continuing his story.

"He had asked me if I wanted a Body Glove. I was foolish and said "sure, why not?". At the time, I didn't know what it was, but the next thing I knew, Jason slapped my back with full force."

Damian looked on mortified, then angered. Jason cracked up laughing.

"Todd, how dare you hit my father like that."

"Please, he was asking for it. Besides, he almost got me after the shock set it."

Bruce nodded, grinning his teeth.

"I still owe you for that…"

"Bring it old man."

Jason got in a defensive position, his trade mark smile never leaving his face. Bruce closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders.

"As much as I would love to go for a round or two, I'm not interested at the moment with this heat."

"Tt. This heat is nothing father. Try living in the Ghadames."

"Ah, Ghadames, Libya? What a lovely destination."

Jason rolled his eyes, he could challenge the "lovely destination's". Nothing that he has found yet on the planet Earth, matched that of the beauty of the All Caste village in the Himalaya's. His mind registered the clear blue waters that seem to be calling him to the pool. He stretched, ready for a dive and cool him off from the ever rising heat. He glanced over at Damian, then to Tim, wondering which one would be an easier target to hit and drag with him into the pool.

"What book you reading Tim?"

Tim was taken back, being the center of Jason's attention. The book in which he had in his position, he quickly hid the title.

"It's nothing special. It's rather embarrassing…"

"As long as it's not Faglight or 50 Shades of Gay…"

Tim gave Jason a look of irritation. The book choices Jason had given, was rather disturbing, even for Tim himself.

"I would never even be caught dead reading that garbage. I'm not a believer in burning books, but I would reconsider for those two abominations."

"Ouch…coming off as a little harsh…"

Damian was also dead panned.

"I agree with Drake on this one. The vile work of 50 Shades of Gray should never ever be welcomed in the Manor ever again. Grayson had a habit of reading the chapters out loud."

"Speaking about Dick, where is he?"

This was the opportune moment, Jason was going to take it when both Tim and Damian were preoccupied. He charged full force, easily grabbing Damian by his waist and Tim by his wrist. In one great heave, all three boys splashed into the water. Bruce laughed at the current events that unfolded before him. The priceless look on Tim and Damian's face.

Jason swam deeper into the deep end, making distance his friend from the two fuming boys who swam up to the surface. Tim popped his head up first, Damian not far behind. Jason was the last, who started laughing already under the water at his awesomeness. The look on the younger brothers faces was worth whatever wrath was in store for Jason later on.

Bruce was enjoying the show. He went back to lying down on the lawn chair. The wonders of having boys for children. He relaxed, closing his eyes, enjoying the angry splashing sound of a challenge in the making. Bruce's relaxation quickly vanished the moment he felt a rising, vertigo feeling. The lawn chair he was currently in, lifted with a speed and force, threw Bruce off into the cold water below. While underwater, Bruce could hear the laughter from up above. He swam up to the surface, eyes narrowed.

Above him, stood the Golden Son of the family. A trumpet smile, along with a hearty laugh, stood Dick. His other brothers, remained silent to Bruce being dunked into the pool. Struck in the awe of the moment someone bested Bruce. Then again, people like Dick learned from the best.

"I'm the best and you know it!"

Bruce sighed heavily, before swimming to the ledge, reaching his hand out. Dick took it as a sign of respect.

"Alright, alright. You got me."

Bruce tightened his grip, placed both feet on the pool wall and pulled. Dick was thrown into the pool as well. The moment he hit the water, Tim started laughing. After that, it was a chain reaction. Dick swam up, catching a quick breath of air, before being pushed down again by Jason. A water fight was in full swing now. Bruce quickly grabbed Damian, who was not quite accustomed to the roughhousing in the water.

"Father, put me down. I'm not a..ah!"

Bruce tossed the younger boy in the air. Damian laughed at the sudden thrill, but it was quickly silenced when he slipped under the water again. Bruce was about to escape himself, but was tackled by Tim from behind. Bruce quickly moved, throwing Tim in front of him. Damian popped up again, in a full scream yelled out.

"Charge on Father!"

Bruce barely heard that Damian had yelled, before he was tackled yet again by the two older boys. Tim and Damian not far behind on getting the best of Bruce. The screams and yells being drowned out by the splashing and laughter that would last long into the night.

Alfred watched on, enjoying the family playing in the water. He was nice and cool in the Manor, not wanting to even set foot outside on the hot and humid day.

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Bruce and Tim looked miserable, their red blazing skin felt like it was on fire. Cold tea bags and towels covered their skin. Dick laughed while he walked in, dressed in full Batman cowl.

"Looks like I'll be playing Batman for a while. I'm not lying, I kinda missed scaring the crap out of people in this thing."

Damian came flying down from above, landing in full Robin gear. His skin easily absorbed the sunlight, turning his once pale olive skin, to a dark brown.

"It's alright Father, Grayson and I have this. Todd's taken over for the Red Robin."

Tim laughed, but quickly regretted it. The thought of a 6 foot man getting into his 5'5 foot suit, didn't sound like a good idea.

"Great. Jason will single handily give the criminals nightmares for weeks. It will give me free time for a while."

As if on cue, Jason in a Red Robin suit walked on in. The four broke into a laughing fit. Jason, in his 6 foot frame, towered over everyone. Jason smirked, playing with the Red Robin cape.

"Really Timbo? You jump around in the night with party streamers."

"Oh ha ha. In the gloves on the left is a pressure sensitive button, it solidifies the cape into one object."

Jason smiled, walking in between Bruce and Tim, who were at his current mercy. He was looking at both of his hands, pushing the left palm to solidify the cape. Once done testing it, he swung his arms down as hard as he could, simultaneously slapping Bruce and Tim's red backs.

"Body Glove!"

The white hand marks, surrounded by red. Jason quickly moved away from the two suffering burn patients, laughing away into the night. Damian looked on, seeing the abuse on his father and Drake's backs. A smile spread upon the realization.

"Oh I get it now. It looks like a glove."

"Brilliant Deduction Robin. Now let's go off into the night."

Batman and Robin left, vanishing in the growing darkness. Bruce and Tim left to willow in their silent pain. Tim glanced over at Bruce.

"I call revenge when the sunburn goes away."

"Agreed. Let's plan for the future event."

Bruce and Tim plotted all night long, determined to set the plan on a later day. Revenge is best serve cold after all.


End file.
